Granger's Veela
by The Ice Goddess
Summary: Draco Malfoy had no idea that Veela blood ran through his veins...that is, until Lucius Malfoy died. Without the dampening potion his father had secretly been giving him each month, Draco's Veela comes out with a vengeance and immediately wants to claim its mate, whether Granger is willing or not. A Veela cannot be denied for long...
1. Strange Happenings

**AN: This is my first fanfiction, but I am revising it. I'm trying to get back into writing, so be patient with me. It may or may not happen, but I'll do my best. Hopefully, my writing has gotten better and this chapter will be 10x better than before. Fingers crossed! **

**Disclaimer – I do not own HP or any of the characters, only the plot. I AM NOT GOING TO BE REPEATING THIS MANTRA. I AM ASSUMING YOU WILL ALL READ THE FIRST CHAPTER AND UNDERSTAND THAT I MAKE NO CLAIM. **

**All that being said, let the games begin. **

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_Chapter 1: Strange Happenings _

DRACO'S POV (DPOV)

_Limbs tangled together. Moans of pleasure and need. The slick feeling of sweat covering two bodies locked in an age old ritual. The sweet scent that permeated the air, the scent of his only…_

"Malfoy!" I shot up in bed, gasping for air at the sudden awakening. My emerald silk sheets tangled around my legs and my sweat made them stick to my sensitized skin. I groaned, falling back onto my feather bed.

"Salazar damn you, Blaise Zabini! That was a good dream too! I've told you before that I hate being woken up!" I grumbled, throwing an arm over my eyes to block to dim light that filtered through the dungeons where we Slytherin's made our home. I shifted and muffled another groan as the silk slid against my morning erection. Bloody hell, if I had only been able to finish that dream…

"_So_ sorry your highness, but I figured that, as much as you love sleep, you hate being on Snape's bad side even more. You've already missed breakfast and your morning classes. But, hey! If you want to skip potions and bring the wrath of our head of house down on you, then, by all means, go back to your wet dream." He smirked knowingly as his gaze drifted downwards towards my…problem. "Which reminds me, you should also be grateful I woke you up because you were moaning up a storm. Whatever that dream was, it must have been good." He gave a lecherous grin before leaving to wait for me out in the common room. I contemplated ignoring his warnings and going back to sleep, but I knew Snape would have my ass if I did. I could always come back after his class and skip the rest of the day. Not like I hadn't done that before. I groaned as I got up, my muscles aching like they actually had had the workout the dream suggested. As I did a quick scourgify on myself and grabbed some clean robes – no time for a shower – I tried to grasp at the fading strands of my dream. I had been having it, without fail, for the past two weeks. But no matter how hard I tried, I could never remember who was in it with me. I wasn't sure why, but something told me that, whoever it was, she was important. So important, in fact, that it seems my body now refused to react to any other female. After two weeks of abstinence, I was getting desperate to find my mystery girl. Before the dream had entered my life, I didn't much care who was under me, as long as she was of good blood and at least fairly attractive. It was unheard of for the Slytherin sex god to go this long without even a quickie with Pansy. She was our house's call-girl and I had often used her to relieve some of my stress from time to time. I met with Blaise and we left for the dining hall together. By then, my painful erection had faded due to the thoughts about Pansy.

We made our way over to our table and sat down in our usual spots next to my other best mate, Theodore Nott. I quickly loaded my plate and began to eat ravenously; I had no idea I was this hungry. My friends and I ignored the usual wary glances and outright glares sent our way. It had been like this ever since the war. Even though the Zabini family had remained stoically neutral throughout the affair. Even though Theo had actually run away from home to take refuge with the Order of the Phoenix because he wanted no part in the fighting and bloodshed. Even though I had been forced to receive the dark mark and had switched to the light side in the end. None of that mattered to anyone. They just avoided us like the plague and whispered about our dark, sordid past as if we couldn't hear them. But, that same past never stopped the continuous onslaught of girls throwing themselves at our feet. They all knew of our prowess in bed…and the amount of zeros our bank accounts held.

"What's wrong with you lately, Draco? Are you sick or something?" Theo suddenly asked, starting me out of my thoughts.

"No. Just tired lately." I lied easily, taking another bite out of the sandwich I held.

"You sure? Would teasing Potter and the weasel help your mood?" He pushed, causing me to give a bark of laughter at his suggestion. I may have joined his side in the end, and he may have helped save me from Azkaban, but that still didn't mean I liked the war-hero. And neither would I play nice with the weasel tribe or the mudblood. I suddenly choked on my food, my throat constricting around it. Flashes of Granger's face came to mind, her face pinched with anger like it did every time I threw that word at her. An uncomfortable feeling welled up in my chest. I couldn't put my finger on what it was, but it felt surprisingly like guilt. What the hell? I finally gagged down the hunk of food that had been blocking my airway and took deep gulps from my pumpkin juice. Blaise and Theo looked on worriedly.

"You okay, Malfoy?" I nodded, still not quite able to catch my breath. I wasn't sure what that whole thing was about, but maybe everything had finally caught up to me and I was losing it. But I felt fine…

"DRAAAAAAAAAKEEEEEEEEY!" I heard Pansy's high pitched squeal seconds before she crashed into me. I only just managed to keep both of us from ending up in an undignified heap on the floor. Merlin's toes! She had to be the world's first human bludger.

"Get off of me!" I scowled as I pushed her into the empty spot next to me. I didn't want her anywhere near me, but beside was better than on. She pouted, sticking her lower lip out slightly.

"But Drakey! I've missed you! Why weren't you in any of our morning classes?" She whined, grabbing onto my arm to try to gain my full attention. I shook her off easily, rolling my eyes to Blaise and Theo, who looked on, amused.

"None of your business, Pansy. Now kindly remove yourself from my presence. I'm _trying _to eat."

"Oh, but Drakey! Are you sure you couldn't spare me a moment? I've been dying to see you again…" She trailed off suggestively, making it perfectly clear what part of me she had really missed. My grimace of disdain must have escaped her notice because the next thing I knew her boobs were thrust into my face. She then proceeded to kiss down my neck, leaving a sloppy trail of saliva in her wake. I shuddered in disgust, my skin crawling at the sensation. I shoved her off harder this time, causing her to tumble onto the ground with a surprised yelp. She sounded just like the pug she resembled.

"I'm not in the mood for this shit. If you're so desperate to get off, go do it yourself. I'm not interested." I said to her, barely sparing a glance at her prone form on the ground. Pansy was silent for a second before the realization that she had been dismissed finally hit her. With an angry shout she stormed off, leaving me to wipe the spit off of my neck with the shoulder of my robe. She was disgusting, how had I ever bedded her?

"Okay Malfoy. Something must be wrong, you've never turned down a quickie from her before."

"Or maybe the Slytherin sex god has finally relinquished his coveted title?" I snorted as Blaise waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"You wish, Zabini. I'm just tired of the same old lays. I just need to sow some new pastures." We laughed and settled back down, finishing our meals without any further interruptions. That is, until a sharp crack sounded throughout the hall. Everyone turned to find Hermione Granger fuming over a certain red head. Weasley was holding his cheek, but I could still see the growing red imprint of a hand.

Hermione Granger had just slapped her boyfriend. Hard.

"Ronald Weasley we are THROUGH! How dare you cheat on me with that… that… that hussy!" She shrieked, her eyes flashing with unadulterated rage. She turned her gaze farther down the table and locked eyes with who, I assumed, had been the one Weasley had been cheating on her with. "You can have him, Lavender. A cheater like him deserves no better than a slut like you." She hissed, venom coating every syllable. Without another word or backwards glance, Granger stormed out of the now completely silent room. Even the professors had yet to recover their voices. Potter looked around the room, glaring at everyone.

"Stop gawking and get back to eating! Don't any of you have lives?!" He shouted before chasing after his friend, leaving the weasel sitting alone at their section of the table. After recovering from the surprise, everyone began talking about what had just happened. Blaise, Theo, and I left our peers to their gossip and began making our way back down to the dungeons where potions was held.

"Well, that was interesting. Seems the Golden Trio isn't looking so good." Blaise commented as we walked. I agreed. I had teased and tormented Granger for years but I had never seen her that mad.

"Well, I think it's a good thing Hermione finally broke up with him. She's too smart for him, she deserves better." Blaise and I stopped in our tracks, staring open-mouthed at Theo.

"Since when are you on a first name basis with a mudblood, let alone _Granger_?" Theo whipped around, getting in our faces.

"Stop calling muggleborns that! This is why you only have a few friends left and they're all just as stupid as you! We had an entire war because people like you just can't seem to admit that muggleborns are just as powerful as purebloods. I have Arithmancy with Hermione, and she is one of the smartest, nicest people I've ever met. She doesn't hold the fact that I'm a pureblood over my head and, if you want to remain friends with me, you need to stop holding the fact that she's a muggleborn over her's." With that, Theo turned and entered the classroom, leaving Blaise and I stunned for the second time that day.

"Holy fuck. Who knew Theo cared so much about mud- er, _muggleborns_." Blaise said as we went inside and sat down at our table. I shrugged.

"Theo has always been looser about blood status than the rest of us. So, I guess we're going to have to stop calling them mudbloods, huh?"

"Yes. I'm not going to lose one of my best friends that I've known since we were in diapers just because of a silly word. Besides, not all muggleborns are bad. We've just been raised with our prejudices, and look where that led us. I've actually been thinking about it a lot lately. I know you're pretty set in your opinions, but at least consider it. Even the Dark Lord wasn't a pureblood." I sat silently as I considered his words. I would definitely drop the term 'mudblood' from my vocabulary to appease Theo, but I still didn't think muggleborns were the same as us. We had been raised from generations of strong, magical families. They had been born with magic out of pure luck. That had to give us an edge over them somewhere. But, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't come up with anything that we were better at than they were. I wanted to punch myself. All these years believing the lies and it took five minutes of thinking to understand that I was wrong. The Malfoy's were wrong. I would never willingly admit to my epiphany though. I simply replied,

"I suppose not all muggleborns are bad, but I still refuse to believe they are equal to us purebloods." I saw Blaise give me an indulgent smile; he knew that I had finally seen the truth. Damn him and Theo! They were supposed to support me, not prove that my entire life was based on a lie!

"Well, at least you're making progress." A voice behind me said. Granger sat there, her potions table already prepared, acting as if the scene in the dining hall had never happened. She looked cool and refined, nothing like the fiery, rage-filled goddess that I had seen at lunch.

Wait. Goddess? What? Damn, tonight must be a full moon, everyone was acting strange!

"Don't get too excited, Granger. Just because I'll admit that muggleborns are not the bane of the wizarding world, doesn't mean I'll jump into bed with you any time soon." I drawled. Suddenly, unwanted images of Granger underneath me as I pounded into her sweet little body assaulted my mind. What in Salazar's name was that?! I had never felt anything remotely close to attraction for the Gryffindor princess, but now it seemed like my body was revolting against my mind, responding to her presence without my consent. Maybe I should go seem Madam Pomfrey after class. This was getting ridiculous.

"I have no want or need to be another notch in your belt, Malfoy." She sniffed, bringing me back to the present. "I'm just glad, and rather surprised, that you have finally admitted that you, the great Draco Malfoy, was wrong about my kind." She gave a smirk worthy of a Slytherin and I heard titters arise from the other students that had filtered into the classroom. Anger bubbled up within me. No one humiliated a Malfoy and got away with it. I stood, leering over her slight body.

"I have admitted nothing, Granger. I always knew muggleborns weren't evil, that term is strictly reserved for the Dark Lord. However, I still believe your blood is dirty, or perhaps you didn't hear that part." We glared at each other, neither one of us willing to back down. Then I felt her small hand grab mine and a sharp pain emanated from my palm. I looked down, startled, as Granger cut her own palm as well. Before I could ask what the hell she was doing she put the knife she had taken from the potions lab down and took my hand and placed it over her own, rubbing our wounds together. She then held both of our hands in front of her and looked back up at me.

"Go on then, Malfoy. Which one?"

"What?"

"If our blood is so different, then you should be able to tell mine from yours. So, whose is whose blood?" I looked down at our palms, where a combination of both of our blood was pooled in each of our hands. Now that she had mixed them, it was impossible to tell where the blood had originally came from. "Well?" I stayed silent. We both knew it was impossible to differentiate the two.

"Well what?" I snapped, breaking the oppressing silence that had descended upon the room. I wasn't sure how many more surprises I could take.

"You can't do it. That's because _there is no difference_. We both have magical blood. Your blood is no better than mine." I returned to silence. I couldn't really argue with her. Especially when she looked so beautiful when she was angry, it was too distracting. How had I never noticed before? Her hair was frizzed with static from her magic and her chocolate eyes shone with passion. I wondered what they looked like when she was feeling _other _kinds of passion…

"Fifty points from Gryffindor for harming another student and a week of detentions after school, Miss. Granger." A familiar, nasally voice snapped me out of my erotic thoughts. Yes, I was going to go to the nurse after class. Something had to be horrible wrong with me if I was thinking of Granger in that way. Maybe someone had slipped something in my pumpkin juice. Snape stood by the door with his usual scowl, Dumbledore looking on from behind the potion master's billowing robes. I'm pretty sure I heard Granger murmur 'worth it' before expertly healing both of our wounds and scourgifying the blood. Dumbledore cleared his throat loudly and gestured towards me.

"Well then. I need to see you, Mr. Malfoy, in my office. It's of the utmost importance. I glanced at Snape, hoping he knew what the headmaster was talking about, but my Godfather simply glowered. Sighing in exasperation, I collected my things and followed Dumbledore out of the room.

I wasn't sure how much more I could take today.

I should have just stayed in bed.

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**AN: There you have it, chapter one. I will begin work on the reconstruction of chapter two tomorrow. Until then, R&amp;R! Tell me if there are any spelling errors or what you did and didn't like about this new version of the chapter! Thanks! **


	2. Explanations

_Chapter 2: Explanations_

DPOV

I fought the urge to fidget as I sat across from Dumbledore. He had been staring at me intently ever since we had sat down, and his oppressive gaze was starting to psych me out.

"Well?" I finally snapped, losing my patience. Dumbledore sighed heavily and nodded his head.

"Yes. It needs to be done." He muttered to himself.

"What needs to be done? I am right here you know." I said, crossing my arms in front of me and trying to look intimidating.

"Mr. Malfoy, I am aware that what I am about to tell you will sound completely unbelievable, and you most assuredly will have questions. However, I ask that you refrain from voicing them until after I am done. Can you do that?" His expression told me I had no real choice in the matter, and I wouldn't put it past the old coot to silence me with a spell.

"Alright, professor."

"Very good. I suppose I should start by giving you a lesson on Veela." I was confused as to why I needed to know this particular information, but I obediently remained quiet. "Veela are an extremely rare magical creature that are revered for their powerful magic and unnatural beauty. Veela have one sole purpose: to find, claim, and protect their mate. To do this, Veela employ powerful pheromones that attract the opposite sex to them in hopes of finding their mate. The pheromones work on the entire gender, but only the mate will truly fall under its spell completely. After they claim their mate, Veela spend the rest of their lives doing everything in their power to make their mate happy and safe. Because of this, Veela have excessively strong magic for protection and they also have different physical attributes to help with that matter as well. Veela also age slower than normal humans, so when they claim their mate they inject some of their magic into them, lengthening their life as well. Veela cannot live without their mate, they only have until their twentieth birthday. That is the most important thing you need to know about them. They will die if they can't find their mate, their mate rejects them, or their mate dies. Do you understand?" He paused to make sure I was still listening and, even though I thought this information to be superfluous, I was. I nodded for him to proceed.

"Mr. Malfoy, I will cut straight to the point. The reason why you needed to have a firm grasp on Veela is because you are one." I immediately began to object this preposterous statement, but Dumbledore held up his hand, warding off any comments. "I am not lying to you, Mr. Malfoy. You are indeed Veela. Your inheritance originates from your mother's side of the family. A fact the Lucius apparently did not know when he married her. When he did find out, he was furious that Narcissa had tainted his pure line with creature blood. You, of all people, know how obsessed your father was with blood purity." I winced and instinctively reached over to cover the dark mark on my arm, even though I had put a charm on it to make it invisible. Yes, I knew how father my father would go for his pureblood ideals.

"Yes, your father hated even the thought of his precious bloodline being tainted, so he developed a potion to stop your change into a Veela. By doing so, you would never find your mate and would die on your twentieth birthday without knowing why. He decided that he would rather the Malfoy line end with you than to continue falling further from the pureblood standards." I paled and let out a long breath. My father had tried to kill me. Sure, we had never really gotten along, but I had never thought he would go so far as to kill his only son. Then again, nowadays I wasn't sure whether my father had ever been truly sane.

"The potion he created to inhibit your change into a Veela was quietly slipped into your food once every six months, usually when you were at your house for break, I assume. Veela come of age around sixteen or seventeen years of age, and when you didn't show any signs of the change, your mother began to worry. She came to me for help, and asked that I be on the lookout for anything strange around you. With the war happening it was impossible to say. But Narcissa finally found Lucius's secret potion's room, where he had prepared and made the inhibitor potion all these years. This was right before the end of the war and his incarceration in Azkaban. Narcissa heard him instruct the house elves to make sure the last couple of doses of the potion went into your food, even if he was gone. It seems he knew that he was going to lose the war and wanted to make sure his plan would still be followed through. Your mother managed to get a sample of the potion and brought it to me and Severus for examination. It wasn't until then that we knew exactly what Lucius had been doing. By this time, your father had been arrested and taken to Azkaban for a life sentence. You had already received your dose for the first part of this year, but now that we knew his plot we destroyed the potion so you would not receive any more of the damned stuff." If I hadn't been so shocked by the story he was revealing to me, I probably would have laughed at the old man actually cursing in front of a student.

"It was decided that we would wait to tell you all of this until the potion had flushed out of your system, there was nothing any of us could do until then anyway. Your Veela would still be dormant and there was no harm in waiting until you finally began to show the signs of the change. Your mother was very excited to finally tell you about your true heritage and the perks that come with being a Veela. But fate, it seems, had other plans. Your father died in Azkaban and, as he was Narcissa's mate, she followed closely behind him."

"Veela can't live without their mate." I whispered brokenly, remembering the day Severus had pulled me aside to tell me that I was now an orphan and he was now my guardian. My father I didn't care much about, but the fact that my mother committed suicide was a harsh blow. Dumbledore nodded sadly.

"Yes. She loved you very much, Mr. Malfoy. But the pain of being separated from their mate is too much for a Veela to handle. She would have just died slowly if she had not ended it herself. I'm sure it was a hard decision for her to make. She lingered longer than most Veela do after their mate is gone, but in the end she couldn't take the heartbreak. Now, your six months are up and I am left to explain all of this to you. Severus would be here, but he figured it would be easier for you to hear this one on one, instead of with an audience, no matter how small." I nodded in agreement absently. This was too much to take in. How could all of this be true?! And yet…for the past month I had been feeling weird, having my strange dream, and feeling disgusted by other woman. It all seemed to add up. I had at first thought maybe this was a joke being pulled on me, but the story was too elaborate, the details to significant. I was a fucking Veela. I was not a pureblood. I had a mate to find within the next two years or I would die. And my Veela insticts were apparently just now awakening.

"Professor, may I ask my questions now, or are you going to tell me something else I thought to be true is nonexistent?" He gave me a wry smile while getting up to stroke Fawkes, his phoenix's, head.

"I don't have anything else to reveal to you. After your questions though, I do have an option that might make this whole mess go smoother. But, questions first." I tried unscramble my thoughts as they swam around in my head.

"How did you know I was having my awakening? Was it just because you knew this was the month that the potion should have been renewed?"

"No, the potion should have been renewed a month ago, but your body was so used to having it in your system that it took a while longer to begin the process of awakening your Veela instincts. Severus and I kept a close eye on you so we would be ready when you did show signs. The last two weeks, you have been sleeping more, eating more, avoiding female company,-" I blushed slightly at that one, "And your magical abilities have skyrocketed. Have you even noticed that you have been doing wandless and nonverbal spells easily and without any effort?" I shook my head slowly. No, I hadn't noticed. When had I been doing that? "These are all signs that you are about to become a fully-fledged Veela. Your metabolism is higher as you use more magic, you avoid the company of females other than your mate, and you sleep more because your body needs the energy to change. Speaking of sleep, have you had any reoccurring dreams lately?" I looked at him in surprise.

"Actually, yes. They're about a girl but I can never seem to see her face. But Merlin I can smell her and she smells fantastic…" I trailed off as I saw the headmaster smiling.

"Yes, that is your mate dream. Veela have them to help find their mate. You'll recognize her scent from your dream and immediately know it's her. You won't be able to add a face to your dream girl until you meet your mate in real life. But, you will continue having the dream until you find her." I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. On one hand, those dreams were exhilarating and the scent of who I now knew was my mate was delicious. But on the other hand, I didn't much look forward to waking up with a hard on until I found my mystery girl.

"Okay. You mentioned the magic already, but you also said there was physical changes that went along with the Veela awakening. What are those?"

"There are actually several. For one, when in your Veela form, your eyes will turn black. This will also happen when you're angry or lustful. That is why I waited so long to begin talking to you. I wanted to make sure we weren't mistaken and, sure enough, when you finally got angry at me for bringing you here and then not speaking, your eyes flashed black." I rolled my eyes. Of course he had purposefully ticked me off. He wouldn't be Dumbledore if he didn't. "You will also have fangs, your canines will lengthen and sharpen for that purpose, but will recede back to their normal size and place once you are calm again. These fangs are coated in a type of venom that serves two purposes. One, your fangs will be the way you mark your mate and once you release the venom into their bloodstream, your magic will follow, causing the slow in aging. The venom is also apparently very erotic to a Veela's mate, and the Veela will use it during intercourse to heighten its mate's pleasure." He saw my embarrassment and his blue eyes twinkled with mirth. "Mr. Malfoy, do you not think I've heard of our resident 'Slytherin sex god's' exploits? You are rather famous amongst the girls." I think I might have thrown up a little in my mouth. I did not need to know that the headmaster of the school knew of my sex life.

"Can we just…move on? You said the fangs serve two purposes. The second one?" He chuckled, but humored me.

"Yes. The Veela's mate is the only one the venom is pleasurable to. To anyone else, it is a paralyzing agent. Once in the foes body, they become completely immobilized for around three hours, giving the Veela enough time to get their mate out of the situation if need be and come back to finish them off later."

"Merlin." I breathed, picturing being unable to move for three hours, praying my enemy wouldn't come back for me. I decided that, in that situation at least, I was glad to be the Veela in the equation.

"You will also grow wings-"

"What?!" I about fell out of my chair. I could possibly hide being a Veela, but how the bloody hell was I supposed to hide giant wings?!

"You heard me perfectly fine, Mr. Malfoy. Wings. They are used for flight of course, but also for defense as the feathers will harden in danger to become as strong as titanium. Veela often use them to comfort their mates as well, wrapping it around them to keep them warm and close. If you're worried about the size of them, then don't be. They are easily refolded into the back and then magically melt back into the skin. They are supposedly easy to summon and dismiss, but extremely painful to grow. The last physical change I can think of are the talons. They will appear when you are in Veela form, like most of the other physical attributes, and will slide back into your nailbed when they are no longer of use." I let out a long breath that I hadn't realized I had been holding. I sounded like a bloody bird.

"So, I need to find a mate?"

"Not just _a _mate, Mr. Malfoy. _Your _mate. It is predestined for you, you have no say in the matter. But, whoever it is, just remember that she is perfect for you in every way." Ah, so that's what he meant when he said my father hadn't wanted his bloodline to fall farther. If I had no control over who I was mated to, then I could very well have a half-blood or a muggleborn for a mate. Good thing Blaise and Theo had knocked some sense into me earlier or that would have made me far more uncomfortable. As it was, how could I discriminate against them now when even I wasn't a true pureblood?

"So I only have a little less than two years to find my mate and get her to accept me, or I die? How am I supposed to find the one perfect match for me in that amount of time! The world is huge!" Dumbledore looked at me strangely.

"You mean, you don't think you know who she is?"

"Why would I? I didn't even know I was Veela until today!" He gave me a sly grin that made me instantly wary.

"Don't you worry, Mr. Malfoy. I believe your mate is closer than you think." I was about to ask him what he meant, but decided against it. I didn't want to know what he was thinking.

"So, besides the obvious, will this affect me in any way? Will the Ministry monitor me or something?"

"Not at all. The Ministry will have to be told of your heritage, of course, but they will give you a wide berth. Veela are protected by law and also very dangerous if crossed. If you killed a Ministry official because he came to check up on you, they could do nothing about it, so they just leave Veela alone. Veela are not completely animalistic like dragons or unicorns. They have a human mind and consciousness. The only time a Veela truly becomes worthy of the title 'creature' is when the Veela feels it or its mate is being threatened."

"I'm not going to be some science experiment for the Ministry. That's always good to hear." He laughed and I cracked a smile. I had been raised on bedtime stories about Veela finding their mates and living happily ever after. Now that I thought about it, mother always did seem to favor tales with Veela in them. But, because I had been told them all my life, I knew there was no way out of being a Veela and whoever my mate was I would love her regardless. Sure, I would miss the sleeping around and my sex god title, but to wake up every morning knowing I was next to someone I loved? Sleeping around with nameless girls seemed like a small price to pay for a lifetime of happiness. I tried to figure out if those were my actual thoughts or those of my new Veela instincts, but decided I didn't care. We were one in the same. I could fight it all I wanted, but that would just prolong the inevitable.

"You said earlier that a Veela would die if the mate rejected them. What is rejection and acceptance exactly?"

"When you first find your mate, the pheromones you release will be like the strongest aphrodisiac to your mate, that your claiming of her will be a given. She will be so lost in passion that she couldn't deny you even if she tried. However, just because the Veela has claimed their mate does not mean the mate has claimed them as well. The Veela is, of course, capable of using pheromones on their mate at any time, but they cannot force the mate to accept them. After the initial claiming, the Veela must convince their mate that they are worth saving. Usually through intercourse, pheromones, gifts, dates, and the like. If the mate decides they accept being the mate to the Veela, they're canines will sharpen as well and they will be able to bite and claim the Veela like they had been claimed. If the mate refuses, then the Veela unfortunately perishes. But there has only been one recorded case of the mate rejecting a Veela, and that was because the Veela had been sabotaged by the mate's current lover by feeding the mate a hate potion." I nodded thoughtfully. Okay, so as long as I found my mate I had a really good chance of survival.

"Wait, I have to claim my mate before I turn twenty, but how long will I last if she doesn't claim me right away?"

"An indefinite amount of time. As long as you're able to have physical contact with her throughout the years, then you can live alongside her. You would both just die earlier and she wouldn't be as connected with you."

"What do you mean, as connected?"

"Ah, I forgot to mention that! Once a Veela claims their mate, they can feel their mate's emotions, and vice versa. Emotions can also be sent to the mate. For example, if your mate was having a nightmare you could send her calm and happy emotions and she would switch over to a good dream, without you having to wake her from the nightmare. It's also helpful to a male Veela so they don't have to express their emotions as much, they can just send them to their mate."

"Wait, so I will always feel my mate's emotions?" That sounded okay in theory, but I really didn't want to be feeling it when she was moody. That would be a whirlwind.

"Oh no, you can turn them off. Just bring up a mind block. Your mate can block her emotions and your emotions from herself as well if she wishes." I sighed in relief.

"That's all I can think of right now." He nodded happily and reseated himself at his desk.

"Now, I would like to offer you that other option I had mentioned earlier." I gestured for him to continue. "We couldn't use this on you before, because Lucius's potion was still so strong, but now that it has started to fade it will be effective." He rummaged in one of his drawers for a second before he brought out a tear-shaped vial filled with a swirling blue liquid. "This potion is designed to drain the effects of all other potions. It would make it so your awakening would begin immediately after drinking it. This would give you more time to find your mate and get used to your body. However, the awakening would be more painful this way, as it will shove your body through the changes instead of the changes happening gradually. It's completely up to you. Either it's quick, painful, and you have more time to search for your mate, or it's slow, fairly painless, and you have to wait at least another month or so before searching for your mate." I didn't have to consider it for long. I wanted as much time as I could get to find my mate, and getting it over with quickly sounded like the best way to go. My father had already taken two years of my search time away from me, I couldn't spare any more time.

"I'll take it." I went to grab it, but he held it just out of my reach.

"Understand that once you take it, you will be out of commission for the next few days. You will also be unable to continue your schoolwork, as you will be out in search of your mate. And if your mate is at the school, then your appearance and claiming of her will make it quite clear what you are. You won't care about blood, looks, anything. You will be a mindless, instinctual Veela whose only thought will be of finding your mate. In all honesty, you will not come back to your human form until either you have claimed your mate or you are on your deathbed. You will be purely Veela until then. Do you understand the consequences of drinking this and awakening your Veela fully? Do you understand that you will not be thinking rationally, only as a creature searching for its other half?" I nodded solemnly. Yes, I knew what I was doing. I was finally letting go of my father's bigoted views and accepting that I was not a pureblood. I was a Veela and I was ready to find my mate. I could feel the Veela instincts in me rejoice. Who knew one day could change my entire outlook on life? I felt like a new version of myself. I was still me, but not. It must have been because my Veela had already begun integrating itself into my personality and views. I took the vial gently and watched as the potion within swirled and sparkled.

"Thank you, professor. I know I'm probably going to be changing emotionally as well when the Veela and I become one, but just know that this version of me is thankful as well. And sorry and rather embarrassed about the way I have acted throughout the years." He flicked his hand, brushing my thanks off.

"Think nothing of it, Mr. Malfoy. You were raised like that and no one can blame you for behaving the way you did. Besides, this year you have been far friendlier now that the bad influences have been removed from your life. I'm sure you will find people will accept this new you as well, once they get past the initial suspicion and wariness. Now, drink up before you lose your nerve!" He winked at me and I smirked. As if. I unstopped the bottle and brought it to my lips. The potion burned as it went down my throat and seconds later I felt the first tingles of pain in my limbs. Before I could say anything to Dumbledore, the pain intensified to an incinerating heat that brought me to me knees. The last thing I remembered before blacking out from the pain was my scream of pain.

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**AN: New version so tell me if there are any mistakes! And please, don't forget to R&amp;R! :)  
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	3. Where or What is Draco Malfoy?

**AN: This chapter used to be a lot like Twilight-To-Midnight's story "Veela and the Perils of Losing Control". After my reconstruction, very few similarities remain, but I still feel the need to give Twilight credit. I urge you to go read her oneshot, it is under my favorites. It's really good! **

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_Chapter 3: Where or What is Draco Malfoy?!_

HERMIONE'S POV (HPOV)

I sat towards the end of the Gryffindor table by Ginny and Harry and tried to ignore Ron and Lavender. I still couldn't believe that, after all we had been through, he would cheat on me. I would have been fine if he had just broken up with me. Truth be told, or relationship had seemed to slow and then halt and I was considering ending it myself. Now, I wondered how much of our failing relationship had been because Ron's interest was…elsewhere. I nearly gagged on my soup as I heard Lavender's high-pitched giggle further down the table. Speaking of. I sighed as I stirred the noodles in my bowl, remembering the last couple of days. After the initial explosion, lines had been immediately drawn; Harry, Ginny, and I on one side and Ron, Lavender, and, surprisingly, Mrs. Weasely on the other. Ginny had assured me that her mother would discover the truth about Ron's betrayal and denounce her son's actions, but until then I just had to burn every howler she sent to me. It seemed our 'Golden Trio' had been reduced to a 'Golden Duo'. With Ron's actions, neither Harry nor I seemed to care. Harry had been furious after hearing of our friend's treachery and I had to stop him from hexing Ron to death every time he blatantly ignored us in favor of showering attention on his new girlfriend. I was only glad the gossips of the school had moved on from my relationship drama. Surprisingly, Malfoy had been my saving grace. Because I hadn't been very subtle in my shouts the day I broke it off with Ron, there really wasn't much to gossip, it was pretty cut and dry. So, the rumors had quickly moved on to Malfoy and his mysterious disappearance. He had been gone for almost a week. No one knew where he was, but the whole school was buzzing with ideas. They ranged from the believable to the completely outrageous. I didn't have to listen very hard to hear the many speculations.

"I overheard a Slytherin say he got a witch pregnant and now she's trying to get to the Malfoy fortune."

"Maybe he dropped out."

"He was eaten by the giant squid in the lake."

"I heard he was part of a new cult trying to bring Voldemort back _again_. Is that even possible?"

"He was expelled for plotting to kill Headmaster Dumbledore."

"Don't be absurd! He was pulled out of school by Dumbledore to go on a secret mission to kill off the last of the Death Eaters that are in hiding!"

"Oh, and _I'm _the absurd one?!"

"Maybe he's just skipping class, the lazy git. Wouldn't be the first time."

"Did he switch schools?"

"I'm pretty sure he was never even real. He was just an elaborate illusion created by the Headmaster to spy on the Slytherin students. That's why he avoided everyone." I almost laughed aloud as I heard the last theory. That wasn't even remotely possible, there was a whole Malfoy family. It wasn't as if he was the only one. Well…I suppose technically he was the only Malfoy now. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him when the newspaper headlines screamed that the elder Malfoys were dead. Lucius by poor health and Narcissa from suicide. Harry and I had been furious at the gleeful tone the newspapers had reported on their deaths. No one seemed to care that the Malfoy heir was now an orphan. Harry and I both knew how hard it was to be without parents, so we couldn't help but sympathize with him. While my parents may not have been dead, they did not remember me at all. Sometimes I wondered if that was even worse. I had been staying with Harry at Grimmauld place.

"Hermione?" I jumped and focused back on the present. Harry and Ginny were looking at me with exasperation and amusement. I blushed slightly.

"Sorry, I was distracted by all the gossip about Malfoy. Some of it is really very funny." Ginny laughed, nodding her head in agreement.

"Right?! It's as if the schools gone mental! But, I have to say, it is rather strange. His disappearance I mean. And you said Dumbledore pulled him out of class?" I nodded, frowning. And just as I thought I was getting blood supremacy out of his thick skull. I didn't regret mixing our blood, but I still wasn't quite sure what had possessed me to do it. Something told me that it had been a turning point in his views though and I supposed that was all that mattered.

"It is mysterious. I've actually gotten to know one of Malfoy's friends, Theodore Nott - the one that hid with the Order during the war, you know?" Harry raised a brow at my mentioning of the Slytherin, but gestured for me to continue. "Well, even he doesn't know what happened to Malfoy." Harry nodded thoughtfully, chewing on his chicken. Ginny gave me a sly grin.

"So, Hermione. You've gotten to know Nott, huh? How close have you gotten? Like really, _really _close? From the conversations I had with him at Grimmauld, he was very intelligent and nice. Right up your alley." My face reddened and Harry sputtered, trying not to choke on the drink he had just taken.

"Ginny! No, nothing like that. Get your head out of the gutter. Besides, I just broke up with your brother. He might have been able to move on quickly, but I'm not like that." I mumbled, shoving another spoonful of my soup in my mouth. She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. But you can always be on the lookout for potential options. You're a great girl, Hermione! Boys should be falling at your feet!" She declared and I snorted.

"Falling at my feet? They're definitely not doing that."

"I said they should be, not that they are."

"Alright, alright. Let's not get into that debate. But, you know that if you do decide to go out with Nott, you'd have our support, right? From what I can tell, he's a pretty nice bloke, for a Slytherin." Harry cut in before Ginny could go on. I smiled gratefully at him.

"Yes. Thanks, Harry. It's good to know that I have my friends' support. Godric knows Ron wouldn't have been so accepting."

"My brothers a moron. I thought we already established that." I merely shrugged and went back to eating. We remained in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. Well, as silent as the boisterous and rowdy great hall could be at supper time.

"You know, I think it's actually a good thing your friends with Nott." Harry said suddenly.

"Why is that?"

"Well, maybe your friendship will help bridge the gap between our two houses. We can try to get to know Nott more as well too, right Ginny?"

"Yeah! I think you'll like Theo, Harry. He's just as bad at wizard's chess as you are." She giggled as Harry gave her a mock glare. In retaliation, he began tickling her, causing Ginny to squeal and try to free herself from his grasp. I laughed at their antics; they were so cute together.

"Would you keep the screeching down over there?! My Won-Won is trying to tell me something!" We stopped laughing to glare down at Lavender.

"We'll be quiet as soon as you put a bag over your face. I'm trying to enjoy my supper here!" Ginny shot back, earning a few chuckles. Lavender's face turned an odd shade of reddish-purple before she turned away from us with a huff.

"Won-Won! Did you hear what your brat of a sister just said to me?! Tell her to apologize to me!" Ron rubbed her back soothingly before turning to give Ginny a disapproving look.

"Really, Ginny. Mom would be ashamed at your manners."

"Look who's talking!" Ron just heaved a big sigh, as if he was having to deal with a great nuisance.

"Merlin, just get over it! Really, Ginny. If you compared Hermione to Lav, you would see that I made the right choice." I about gagged at his insinuation. While I was disgusted at his implications, Ginny was furious. She abruptly stood up and cast her famous bat bogey hex, causing Ron and Lavender to scatter away from the table, trying to escape the angry creatures. She stood there, panting with her fury. I was kind of touched she was getting this worked up over Ron. Harry tugged her back into her seat and pulled her into his arms, muttering for her to calm down.

"It's okay Gin. I think it's safe to say that, by now, I'm glad I'm not with him anymore."

"Still! That doesn't make what he did or what he said right! Oh! If only he wasn't my brother…"

"Calm down, honey. Let's not get sent to Azkaban." Harry said, trying to hide his smile.

"Why don't we talk about something else to get your mind off of it." I suggested.

"What should we talk about?"

"Um…what's your favorite theory that you've heard about Malfoy's absence?"

* * *

After supper, Harry, Ginny, and I had retreated to the library, still discussing and laughing at the things we had heard. Apparently, Harry had heard someone say that Malfoy sent himself into an alternate dimension where Voldemort had won so he wouldn't be an outcast. Ginny had been told that he had polyjuiced himself to look like a different student and was trying to get information to use against us. I told them about the theory I had heard of Malfoy being an illusion. That one had been the one to break us, we laughed so hard that tears had poured from our eyes. It sounded even more ridiculous out loud. We were finally kicked out of the library by Madam Pince for being too loud and began walking back to the Gryffindor common room.

"So, if we're planning on trying to connect our house with the Slytherin's, does that mean we should become friends with Malfoy? I mean, he is the ruler of their house." Ginny snickered, nudging my shoulder playfully. "You going to be besties with Malfoy, Hermione? Braid your hair and trade secrets together? Maybe even fall in loooOOOooove?" She batted her eyes and I rolled mine.

"You're such a ham, Ginny. I may be friends with one Slytherin, but that doesn't mean I'm suddenly going to like Malfoy. He's been a cruel git to me all these years. Just because he's finally learning the error of his ways doesn't mean he's going to change. He'll always hate me and I'll always hate him."

"I certainly hope that is not the case, Miss. Granger." We jumped and whirled around, wands at the ready. We may not be at war anymore, but our instincts were honed and it was hard to turn them off. Dumbledore had his hands raised in surrender, looking rather amused at our instant reactions to being snuck up on. We lowered our wands with muttered apologies. "I do hope you get a handle on those war reactions. I'm sure others will not be as understanding as I am to have wands suddenly pointed at them."

"We're working on it, Professor." Harry grumbled, looking down at the ground in shame.

"Good, good. Now Miss. Granger, as to what I overheard. I had hoped that you had a more open mind than that. I do find the idea of forming friendships between the two houses splendid, but it will only work if you don't discriminate against them. Mr. Malfoy was as much a victim of the war as the rest of us, you should give him a chance to prove himself." I'm sure the three of us looked like landed fish with our jaws on the floor.

"B-but, Professor! I'll agree that he wasn't truly bad during the war, but he has also been mean to us throughout our school years. We don't hate him because we think he is a Death Eater, we hate him because he's a jerk!" Ginny sputtered and Harry and I nodded quickly in agreement. Dumbledore frowned down at us.

"I understand that some of his actions were…less than pleasant, but if he had acted in any other way his father would have punished him. Please, just keep an open mind. Especially you, Miss. Granger. Your life will be changing very soon. I can only hope you greet the challenges ahead with as much grace and poise as you did during the war." What was he talking about? Changes? Challenges? What did he know? Questions whirled around in my head and I opened my mouth to voice them but Dumbledore held out a hand, effectively silencing me. "You'll find out what I mean very soon, I'm certain. We can talk afterwards. Until then, I bid you three a good night." With that, he turned away and walked down the hallway, leaving us standing in the corridor.

"What on earth…" We looked at each other, silently asking if any of us knew what he was talking about.

"Well, I guess we should just head up to bed. Dumbledore won't tell us what he was talking about, but he says it'll happen soon. So be on the lookout, Hermione." Harry said seriously, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"What a goodnight! 'Something's going to happen and it's going to be difficult and it's going to happen soon and I know what it is but I won't tell you bye!'. Really, Dumbledore needs to work on being less cryptic." Ginny complained as we rounded the corner. Harry seemed about to say something but the person at the end of the hall caught our attention.

It was none other than the missing Draco Malfoy.

He looked different somehow. Not a bad different, oh no. He just seemed..._more_. His platinum blonde hair fell in disarray around his face, almost completely concealing his eyes. He was taller and more filled out, but he was still lithe enough to recognize the seeker in him. My eyes trailed down his form. I silently rejoiced in the fact that his shirt was missing and his chiseled, pale chest was open for my viewing. Had Malfoy always been this hot?

"Since when does he have _those_?!" Harry asked, drawing my attention to the other difference in Malfoy. The inhuman one that I had somehow skipped over in my perusal of him.

Malfoy had giant wings.

The only way I could truly think of to describe them was spectacular. They were mostly black, but they faded gracefully into a startling silver at the tips. The effect was that of sharpened steel blades. They gave Malfoy the appearance of an avenging angel with them displayed out over his head.

"They're gorgeous." I whispered in awe. I wanted to rush up and run my fingers through the feathers. They looked so soft. At the sound of my voice, his head jerked toward me so fast I was afraid he might get whiplash. My breath caught in my throat as his pitch black eyes pierced mine. Black? I thought Malfoy's eyes were gray? Before I had time to wonder about that, a low growl poured out of Malfoy's throat and the air seemed to fill the air with electricity. I gave a soft moan as the magic caressed my skin and faintly heard Ginny do the same. I still couldn't look away from Malfoy's dark eyes.

"Mine." I heard him snarl, his wings flaring at the statement. A little thrill went through me at the possessive statement that seemed to be directed at me. I found myself hoping it was directed at me. The air seemed to pulse again and then a delicious scent wafted its way to me. I began inhaling faster and faster, just trying to catch more of that delicious smell. I just wanted to drown in it.

"What's that smell? It's so good…" I heard Ginny murmur off to my side. Good? How could she describe it as just good? It was fantastic! I wanted more, I wanted to rub myself all over Malfoy until he was the only thing I could smell! I moaned louder as the magic swept over me again, making my nipples harden and my center clench in anticipation. I had never wanted anything more than I wanted Malfoy right now. He sniffed at the air and, if it was even possible, his eyes darkened further; as if he knew my body was calling out for his touch. A purr tumbled from his lips and I arched my back slightly, feeling as if cool fingers had just trailed down my body. Oh, Merlin. I couldn't take it anymore! I needed to be with Malfoy. I bolted towards him, ignoring Harry's shout. Malfoy gave me a dark smile, catching me as I literally threw myself into his arms. My eyes nearly rolled back into my head as he purred again, the vibrations on my skin feeling like heaven. I absently noticed he was taking me away from my friends, but I couldn't find it in me to care. If I was away from them, I would get Malfoy all to myself. My hands wandered over his chest shamelessly, tracing the lines of muscle of his torso. I felt his lips against my neck and I arched it instinctively, giving him more access. He groaned as my hands stroked his downy feathers with reverence.

"Merlin, you feel good, love. I can't wait to claim you." I hissed in a mixture of pleasure and pain as his suddenly sharp teeth scraped against my skin. It wasn't enough to draw blood, but it was enough that I knew he would be marking me soon. How I knew that, I had no idea and Malfoy's gentle licks and nips up my jaw quickly made me forget why it mattered.

"Malfoy!" I gasped as I shifted and felt the bulge in his pants. He slammed me against a wall, holding my hands up above my head as he pinned me there, rolling his hips against mine. The position had me whimpering in desire.

"It's Draco, love. Call me by my first name. I belong to you, and you belong to me. So we have every right to be _familiar _with each other." He rolled his hips again and I jerked my hips towards his in a desperate attempt to get more friction. My core felt like molten lava and I knew only he could ease the heat. "Understand, _Hermione_?"

"Yes, Merlin yes. Ma-Draco, please! I need you!" I nipped at his chin, the only thing I could reach, and squirmed in his grasp. I couldn't be this close to him and not touch him.

"I know, love. I know. Come on. No one will disturb us in here, my mate." It was then that I noticed the wall he had me up against was right next to the Room of Requirement.

"Good. I want you, Draco." I murmured, hardly recognizing the low, seductive voice as my own. Draco seemed to like it though, as he growled in approval and finally moved in to kiss me. Stars seemed to burst behind my eyes as his lips caressed mine, his tongue shoving its way in to play with mine. Sweet Godric, he even _tasted_ good. I tangled my fingers in his silky hair and rubbed myself against him as he wandlessly opened the door to the Room of Requirement and we entered the candle lit room.

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**AN: Please R&amp;R! Brownies for everyone who does! ;) **


	4. The Claiming of a Mate

**AN: Okay, this is going to be a shorter chapter, because I am not writing a super long sex scene. Sorry to those that like these parts to be a billion pages long. **

**THIS STORY IS RATED M FOR A REASON. THIS CHAPTER IS PART OF THAT REASON. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. IF THIS TYPE OF THING IS NOT YOUR CUP OF TEA, I SUGGEST YOU READ SOMETHING ELSE. Actually, if this isn't your thing, then you should probably stay away from fanfictions altogether, lol. **

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_Chapter 4: The Claiming of a Mate_

DPOV

The setting the Room of Requirement had created for us was perfect. Candles were strewn across the room, their soft, flickering lights cast dancing shadows on the dark green walls. An enormous bed dominated the room with silver covers. Green and silver. Ha. Hermione would love that when she woke up. Dumbledore hadn't been entirely correct with his thought that I would be completely animalistic. I certainly acted like it, but my mind was still my own. I just couldn't control my Veela. Because of this, I was fully aware that she still hated me. My now super-sensitive ears had heard her conversation and knew exactly what she thought our situation was. After that, I had been determined to keep a hold of my instincts to court her properly so that she would understand that I meant her no harm. That plan had gone straight out the window as soon as I heard her sweet voice directed at me. She thought my wings were gorgeous. I had silently preened at my mate's approval.

I still couldn't quite believe that Hermione Granger was my mate. I thought I would be pissed off or in denial, but the Veela instincts that were now swirling in me gave me a whole new outlook. Hermione had always been one of the only ones to stand up to me and was the only one whose magic rivaled my own. She was the only one that could actually have an intelligent conversation with me while also managing to be sarcastic and witty. Without the pureblood rot my father had always shoved in my head, I got to actually see _her_. And she was perfect for me. My train of thought was derailed as Hermione stroked my wings again. They were so sensitive and her touch felt amazing. I groaned. I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to be with her. I needed to feel her skin on mine. I needed to feel her around me. I needed to mark her as mine. I snarled as possessiveness roared through me. She was mine and after tonight everyone would know. I practically threw her on the bed, my impatience coloring my actions. I immediately covered her with my body, capturing her soft gasp with my lips. It could have been illegal how fantastic she tasted. And her _scent_! I moved my mouth down her jaw and nuzzled her neck, inhaling greedily. She smelled of old books in hidden sections of the library, of lilacs after a fresh spring rain, and of creamy dark chocolate. All good on their own, but combined Hermione smelled perfect. I couldn't describe it as anything else.

"Merlin, Draco…" My name spoken in a breathy moan was what truly undid the beast. I ripped Hermione's robes off her body, throwing the scattered pieces away from the bed in disgust. My pants soon followed and then nothing lay between us. We were skin on skin and I purred at the feeling of her silky soft skin against me. The musky smell of her arousal permeated the air and my eyes nearly rolled back in my head as I got a whiff. Nothing smelled better to a Veela than their mate's pleasure.

"I'm going to claim you as mine soon enough, love. But now, I have to taste you." I growled, causing her to shiver in anticipation. I slid down her body and positioned myself at her opening. I dove in like a starving man, the neatly trimmed patch of curls above her sweet pussy tickling my nose slightly. Her thighs snapped closed on my head and she nearly arched off the bed with a slight squeal. Her sweet essence coated my tongue as I thrust it into her, making sure to rub her clit to give her the extra stimulation. I held down her legs as she arched again, nearly escaping my seeking lips. That wouldn't happen, she was going to come in my mouth.

"Draco, please! I can't!" I gave another low growl.

"You can and will, my mate." I shot her a concentrated dose of my pheromones at the same time I sucked her clit into my mouth, nibbling it gently. With a scream, she came, her thighs trembling at the force of her orgasm. I quickly moved my mouth back down to lap up her juices and it was better than anything I had ever tasted. After I finished suckling at her, I glanced up at her. She looked down at me with dark, lust-filled eyes.

"Wow. That…I never knew it could be like that." She whispered, awe tinging her voice. I couldn't help a smug smile of male satisfaction from appearing at her words. I crawled up her body, pausing to lick and nibble at her succulent breasts. I finally propped myself up by her head, my erection pressing into her stomach. It throbbed painfully as my move caused delicious friction against my straining member. I couldn't wait to sink it into her sweet heat. I tenderly brushed back some stray curls from her face, gazing down at her.

"Is this your first time?" She nodded shyly and a slight blush colored her cheeks. I purred, kissing her again. "No need to be embarrassed. You were meant for me. I'm honored and beyond pleased to know that I will be your first, and last, man to please you. I will warn you though, the first time is supposed to hurt." She bit her lip, fear flashing in her eyes. I brought my wings around us, wrapping us in a warm cocoon of feathers. She relaxed unconsciously, my wings doing their job perfectly.

"I'm ready, Draco. I want this with you. I need it. Please. I need _you_." She ran her delicate fingers through my hair, dragging me back to her for another heated kiss. While I distracted her by playing chase with our tongues, I positioned myself at her entrance, the edge of my aching cock rubbing against her folds. My fangs appeared again and venom coated them quickly. I couldn't wait to claim her. I didn't wait for the tension to build in her. I simply thrust myself in to the hilt, the same time I bit down on her neck and injected my pleasure-causing venom deep into her bloodstream. The venom's pleasure overpowered the pain I knew breaking her innocence would cause and she gave a silent scream. She almost arched off the bed as she came instantly. The feeling of her milking my cock made me come as well, groaning as I shot my load deep inside her. Magic pulsed off of both of us, the result of the mate bond I had activated. We lay there, panting. I felt the emotional connection already and her overpowering pleasure, lust, and the very tiny beginnings of love made my smile softly into her hair.

"Wow, Draco. That was incredible." She whispered, snuggling up to me. I gave her a wicked grin.

"Oh, sweet, innocent Hermione. We haven't even begun."

* * *

Hours later, I was finally sated and Hermione and I were happily worn out. She lay, exhausted, next to me in bed. I glanced down at my mark on her neck and smiled. My bite mark shined silver in the dying candles, the venom causing the bite to scar permanently. Now, everyone would know she was taken and off limits. She shifted closer to me, wrapping an arm around my waist and hugging me to her. I never used to enjoy cuddling after sex, but now I welcomed it, shifting Hermione so she was cradled in my grasp using one of my arms as a pillow. I closed my eyes and leisurely breathed in our mixed scents. I knew when she woke up Hermione would panic, but for now I simply enjoyed knowing that I held her safe and sound. I closed my eyes with a smile and fell asleep holding my beautiful mate.

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**AN: I feel like it's better than the last one, but I'm still nervous since I'm still new at this. Please review and give me your thoughts! But only give me constructive criticism, no flames please.**


	5. Trying to Calm a Panicked Granger

**AN: I'm back! Didja miss me?! :D **

***dodges rotten tomatoes* Okay, okay! I'm sorry I was gone so long! I've been having a lot of trouble just sitting down and writing! I will tell you this though, I have this entire fanfiction planned out. Not written, but planned. So, when I do finally sit down and write (like I am currently) I know what to focus on. **

**And speaking of planned out, all you Ron-lovers out there (if you're still here after the beatings from earlier chapters) just sit tight. I have some tricks up my sleeves. And if you're a Ron-HATER, well I'm pretty sure you'll still enjoy this story as well. What?! A story to please Ron haters and lovers? Impossible you say!...**

**Yeah. Probably. But I will do my best! ;) Now on with the show! **

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_Chapter 5: Trying to Calm a Panicked Granger_

DPOV

I sighed contentedly as I slowly became conscious. My muscles felt like gelatin and my mind felt hazy. Damn, what had happened last night? As if in answer memories rushed through my head in a flood and I moaned as my body woke up at the memories as well. Hermione clinging to me in the hallway stroking my wings, tasting her sweet essence, and then tasting her blood as I claimed her. I tried to stretch and found one of my arms was currently occupied by my mate. She clung to me as her head rested on my bicep, her legs entangled with mine. I couldn't help the tender smile I felt creeping onto my face as I watched her sleep. I had grown during my Veela transformation and even though I knew I was taller than her before, now I simply dwarfed her in comparison. A little growl of possessiveness slipped out as I thought of how tiny and fragile she looked. She was mine. Mine to protect, mine to cherish, mine to love. She may not like it but…I used my free hand to brush aside her curly mane of hair and grinned at my mark on her. Either way, she was mine. Now came the hard part.

Convincing her to claim me as hers.

I gently played with her hair as I thought about the upcoming weeks. This was going to be difficult. If I had learned anything from my encounters with Hermione, it was that she was ridiculously stubborn and fiercely independent. She wouldn't like the thought of being what some would literally consider my property. I just had to explain to her that if she was my property, than I was hers as well…if she'd have me. A flicker of fear raced through me at the thought of her rejecting me. I knew I couldn't live without her; not because without her acceptance I would die, but because without her I had nothing to live for. The reason for my very existence was now cradled in my arms. My hold tightened slightly at the thought of losing her. With my shift I felt a slight pressure at the back of my head, not uncomfortable but pressing enough to be noticed. I frowned and closed my eyes, searching inwardly for the source. Whatever it was, it seemed attached to my magic, which, I couldn't help but notice, had grown and matured very impressively. Veela really _were _stronger when it came to magic. I used my aura to brush against the strange intrusion and more memories spilled into the forefront of my mind. This was Hermione! Or, at least, my connection with Hermione. Last night when I had been in full Veela form I had tapped into it easily without a second thought, but now I got to truly discover it. I brushed against it again and felt what I supposed Hermione was feeling. Unlike yesterday, her emotions were muted and seemed sluggish and I instinctively knew that meant she was asleep. I wondered if I would be able to tell other things about her physical being from the way her emotions played out, like the difference between her being asleep and her being unconscious. That would be useful in protecting her. She was currently feeling relaxed, happy, satisfied, and lethargic.

"Hmmm…" I experimentally sent some of my love her way and watched as her facial expression softened and a small smile played on her lips. Checking her emotions again, I found them basically the same, but with love and safety added in. I purred with the knowledge that even asleep my mate felt protected with me. After a couple more minutes of basking in my mates calm emotions, I resignedly sent her some alertness, slowly upping the ante of it until I felt her stir against me. Knowing that all of this would be a shock for her, I tried to keep my hands to myself so she would hopefully not be as mad when she came to completely. However, that was before she so innocently stretched against me, rubbing her face into my chest with a sleepy little sigh. I groaned at the feelings that immediately coursed through me and my Veela instincts roared to the surface. I suddenly didn't care that she might be a bit upset with me, the taste of her skin was too good an offer to pass up. I bit and nibbled at her earlobe, my fingers tracing up and down her sides gently.

"Mmmmm…" Her moan of appreciation did me in completely and I rolled my body over hers, pinning her down to the bed. I took her lips with mine, quickly getting lost in the kiss. I finally managed to fight my Veela urges down after a couple of minutes of kissing her breathless and reluctantly pulled away. I admired my handiwork as I waited for her to open her eyes and realize who she was snogging. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips raw from all of my kisses. She was panting slightly from them as well, and her parted lips just begged to be kissed again. Before I could give in and answer their call however, Hermione's eyes finally flew open. Looks like she had just remembered that this was not her normal wakeup routine. At least, it better not have been her normal wakeup routine. I squashed the jealousy that sprouted in me at the thought; she had told me last night that I was the first man to please her.

And I would be the last man to please her if I had my way.

"Draco?!" Her voice, pitched slightly higher with her surprise and panic, brought me back to the situation at hand. This was going to be so much harder to explain now that she was already in the mood for panicking. My lying on top of her probably didn't help matters either. What does one even say in a predicament like this?! I settled with simplicity.

"Hermione." I kept my voice low and in what I hoped was a calming tone. "It's alright. Just don't panic. I'll explain everything if you'll just-"

"Don't PANIC?!" She screeched, shoving me off of her with surprising strength. I barely managed to keep myself from falling off of the bed as she jerked herself out from under the sheets and began to pace. My eyes followed her back and forth as she muttered under her breath. It was hard to focus on what she was saying because my mate was there, with her delicious body on display for me to see, and I was still sporting a hard on from our heavy make-out session. Hermione finally noticed that I wasn't listening to her and she turned her harsh glare on me. But all I could see was her hip cocked saucily to one side, hands on them as she stood there, her breasts heaving with her angry breaths. Dear Merlin, if I couldn't get a handle on these Veela cravings, I was never going to get on her good side. These had to die down eventually, right? When she realized where my eyes were glued, she gave a squeak and I felt embarrassment and shame flood through our bond as she swiftly covered herself with the bed sheet. I frowned in confusion; embarrassment sure, but shame?

"Hermione, you need never be ashamed of your body. Trust me, love, you are perfect." I murmured, getting up and going over to her, trying to pry the sheets she held onto like a lifeline. Her eyes were wide with fear and her heart was beating like crazy. I was worried she was going to pass out. With that concern in mind I began throwing calm vibes her way, hoping to slow her heart to a more normal rate. When she swayed and her eyes shuttered in tiredness I realized I may have overdone it just a bit. I caught her as her legs buckled underneath her, noting with satisfaction that with my new strength I could easily lift her. Her head lolled to the side and she looked at me through eyes glazed with the relaxation I had accidentally swamped her with. Yeah, I had to be careful with emotion sending from now on.

"How are you...what are you doing to me?"

"Nothing, Hermione. I'm just being a Veela." I sighed at her adorably confused look. "Never mind, Dumbledore will explain it better than I ever could. I'll just let you wake up…again." I picked her up bridal style and carried her back over to the bed. As she shook off the effects of my meddling I found our wands and conjured us up some new robes. I gave Hermione her wand and the clothes and silently got dressed, avoiding looking at her because I knew he was still uncomfortable with me. I did feel her eyes on my ass and a shot of lust through the link though, so I supposed she couldn't be all mad at me. When I didn't hear anymore rustling of clothes from her side of the room I turned and looked at her. She opened her mouth, probably to ask a thousand and twelve questions but I held up my hand to stop her.

"Come on. Let's go find Dumbledore and get all your questions answered."

* * *

"You have GOT to be kidding me! Please tell me this is some kind of sick joke, Headmaster. I _can't _be his mate!" We had been in his office for about an hour, and only about half of that was used for explanations about Veela. The rest had been this: Hermione refusing to believe we were serious about this. I tried to keep the hurt from my eyes as Hermione pleaded with Dumbledore to tell her that she wasn't mine. I had expected her to deny the claim, but I hadn't thought of the pain that would come from her denying that there was even a bond. She wasn't rejecting me per say, but it was still close enough to it that my feathers were ruffled and I could feel my talons at the edge of my nails. Dumbledore spared me a pitying glance; he must have known how painful hearing all of this come from my mate must be.

"Miss. Granger, I understand that this is something you would not have chosen for yourself, but this could be a gift in disguise if you just look at it from a different perspective. Perhaps from Mr. Malfoy's." She whirled to face him, her hair sparking with her magic and anger. I smiled slightly at the sight, knowing that, at least magically speaking, she was perfect for me. She was literally bursting at the seams with her own magical potential. I couldn't believe I had ever thought of her as weaker just because her parents were muggle. One look at her angry _hair _and anyone could see that wasn't true. I once again cursed my Dad before shaking my head to bring me back to the present.

"Are you serious?! Headmaster, be reasonable!"

"I am. It seems to me that it is you, for once, who is not using her head to think rationally." I winced internally. Oh, she wasn't going to like that. Right on cue, her magic exploded out of her, shattering glass and whipping knickknacks off of shelves and onto the ground with noisy clatters. I wanted to try to calm her again, but was afraid of a repeat of earlier, so I stayed sitting stiffly in my seat.

"Excuse me?! You think I'm not thinking rationally?! This is MALFOY, Headmaster. He has been nothing but cruel to me and my friends every year since e has known me! And you are expecting me to believe that just because he has some Veela DNA that he's just my perfect match?! No. It's not going to happen. I don't want this!" My chest constricted at her words and I couldn't breathe. Honestly, I didn't really want to anymore.

She didn't want me.

She was rejecting the claim.

I was going to die.

I couldn't live without her.

I vaguely noticed that I had somehow gotten to the ground and Dumbledore and Hermione were standing over me, frantically talking. Even though she had just sealed my death warrant, I hated the look of fear on my beautiful mate's face, but when I tried to take a breath to tell her it was okay, I still couldn't. It was like I had forgotten how to even take in oxygen. The world started getting hazy as the lack of air started to get to my brain. The world seemed to move in slow motion as Hermione knelt down beside me, biting her lip. I gave her a weak smile to try to tell her that I truly understood; she wanted to live her own life, I could understand that I supposed. Anything to keep my mate happy. Everything started to go dark and I saw Hermione's eyes widen even further before she slowly, ever so slowly, leaned down and placed her lips against mine. I inhaled in shock and her scent tumbled into my body, soothing away the death that had almost completely overtaken me. I blinked dumbly as I gasped for more air as Hermione pulled away.

"Oh, God. Oh my God. I almost killed you, Draco. Oh, Godric I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to reject the claim! Oh my God! I'm so sorry, I didn't know!" She was crying and babbling above me with guilt spilling through our bond. I reached up and wiped away the tears that were streaming down her face and gave her a pained smile.

"It's alright Hermione. I'm okay. Everything's okay. I'm here." I managed to drag myself up off of the ground and pull her closer to me, burying my face in her neck and inhaling more of her. I brushed my hands up and down her arms in an effort to calm her without the emotions and was pleased to feel her relax against my chest.

"I'm so sorry. I don't want to kill anyone! I didn't even kill anyone in the war, only stunned. I didn't mean to do that Draco, I'm so sorry." It hurt that the only reason why she had saved me was because she didn't want to kill anyone, no matter who it was, but I pushed it aside, reasoning that either way I was alive and that meant I had a chance to get her to claim me as well. I shushed her and rocked her slightly, just enjoying the feeling of having her in my arms.

A throat cleared above us and I quickly remembered that Hermione and I were not alone. I looked up at Dumbledore who was smiling in relief down at the two of us. Hermione blushed prettily and extracted herself from my grasp, much to my displeasure.

"Well then. Now you see why we were trying to get you to listen to us, Miss. Granger. Draco's life is tied to yours and you need to be careful about what you say. While he can survive without you claiming him back, it would be more comfortable for everyone involved if you did."

"No." Dumbledore and Hermione looked at me, shocked at my growled outburst. I turned to Hermione, my features softening.

"While he is right that my life is yours now, I don't want you to feel like you _have _to claim me. Even being around you is enough of a blessing for me. If you do claim me back, I want it to be your choice out of love, not out of a sense of responsibility. I know I did and said horrible things to you in the past, but can't we just forget that and try to at least be friends from here?" I pleaded with her.

"We had…" She glanced up at Dumbledore and lowered her voice to a hiss, "…sex, Draco! That is not exactly a 'friends only' kind of thing! You even took my virginity! I can't get that back!"

"I know, and I'm not going to pretend that I'm sorry about that, love. I'm a Veela and you're my mate, claim me or not. And even if that's the only thing I ever get from you I will cherish it to the end of my days. But I feel like you should at least give me a chance to prove to you why the Veela instincts in me chose you as my perfect mate. Please, Hermione." I tried to convey how sincere I was and I felt her melting. Not a lot, but it was still something. I reached out my hand to cup her cheek, thrilling in the fact that she unconsciously leaned into my touch. With a shaky sigh she looked up at Dumbledore, who had been watching us talk silently.

"So…what all does this entitle?"

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**AN: I know, it's not my best. But I'm hoping that maybe if I start up again I'll get better again. Cause…that's how it works….right? :P Anyway, tell me what you all think! If you see any mistakes PLEASE tell me because this is un-beta'd and I just got over a week long cold (yes…7 freaking days of coughing and wheezing and dying) so I'm pretty tired. So, I'm sure I've made some mistakes. **

**Also, feel free to R&amp;R, and maybe even post suggestions. For this chapter to be better in a revision of it (I almost always go back and clean it up after posting) or for something in the future. Just because I have it planned out doesn't mean the writing will follow the plan. It certainly didn't with this chapter! **

**So, R&amp;R my lovelies and please, no flames! Thanks!**


	6. A Great Beginning

**AN: This one is a little longer, and comes with a second chapter, but I'm just compensating. Because I'm pretty sure chapter 8 will be a short, filler chapter. I could have added it onto this one, but I didn't want all of you to get your hopes up for longer chapters. As I have said, I'm sticking with fairly short chapters.  
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**Chapter 6: A Great Beginning…**

HPOV

Apparently, Draco being a Veela entitled more than I had been originally willing to give. Not only did I have to rearrange my classes to match his exactly, but I had to share a little dorm room with him! When I protested to that measure, it seemed a bit extreme, Dumbledore just smiled and said he was certain I could handle it maturely. It wasn't about me handling it, it was about how Draco would take _advantage_ of it! I had been about to argue again, but I made the mistake of glancing toward the Veela in question. He had a pinched look on his face, as if he was in pain, but held his tongue. I knew he must be dying to have me in a room all to himself, and the fact that he wasn't trying to deny me my opinion of room-choice spoke volumes of how much he really wanted me to want to be in this. I had sighed and backed down, and had immediately filled with elation. I had blinked in surprise before it had abruptly faded away. A look at Draco made me think he was responsible, but I had no proof of him somehow sending me emotions. I really had to learn more about Veela. I sighed again as I walked away from Dumbledore's office to get my things. I was expected to move into our new shared rooms immediately. God, what would Harry and Ginny think…

"Hermione! Wait!" I paused and waited for Draco to catch up with me.

"Yes, Malfoy?" Memories of last night once again played behind my eyelids and I looked away from him, cheeks heating up. It just had to be Malfoy, didn't it? I started walking briskly away, expecting him to keep up with me. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me to a stop, turning me to face him as he did so. I saw his signature smirk and I instinctively braced myself for a rude comment. But, he surprised me.

"Draco."

"What?"

"Call me Draco. I told you that last night, and you had no problems with it." I swear my blush went all the way down to my toes. Now I knew what that smirk was for. I gave him my best glare, which, admittedly, wasn't very good as I was still so flustered.

"Shut up." He laughed as I tried to pull away again, instead reaching down – jeez did he have to grow so tall, I felt so tiny! – to cup my cheek in his palm.

"Hermione, I'm serious. I want you to call me Draco. I know this is all a big shock to you, but you said you'd try. Please?" He slowly slid his hand from my cheek down to my neck, rubbing his bite mark. I felt heat shoot through me as he brushed against it and I squirmed away from him, trying to keep some of my dignity left intact. He looked at me in confusion, and a bit of hurt, before he inhaled suddenly. His eyes darkened and I could practically _see _his Veela side just below the surface. A deep rumbling growl, almost a purr, rose up from deep within him as he stepped closer to me and buried his face in my neck, suckling and licking at the bite there. The more attention he gave, the arousal I felt heating my core.

"Um…uh…Mal- I mean Draco. I really don't know how you're doing this but pl-please stop. We can't be doing this in the middle of the h-halls…" I stuttered out around my panting.

"Mmmm…but I'm learning. Don't you encourage learning?" He drew back to give me a heavy stare, his eyes pure black now, just like they had been last night. I gulped, feeling something between fear and lust.

"L-learning what, exactly?" A slow, sexy smile spread across his face like molasses.

"Learning you. Learning what I can do with you, for you. It seems that touching this," He reached out again to gently rub his mating mark and I bit my tongue to hold back a groan of pleasure as I felt more liquid pool in my knickers. "Gets you horny. I like a lusty mate, love. We can have so much fun with this…" I couldn't hold in a squeak as he picked me up easily into his arms and began walking. My eyes widened as I realized he was headed back towards the Room of Requirement.

"Oh, no! No, no, no! Let me down!" I struggled against his hold until he finally, reluctantly, put me down. I turned on him, hands on my hips. "You said we would start out as friends and then _see _where it got us. I am not jumping right back into bed with you! Now, I am going to go get my things, and you are going to go get yours, and then we will get into our new rooms. But you remember Draco Malfoy, I may be your mate, but that doesn't mean I'm your lover!" I stomped off down the hall, purposefully ignoring Draco's muttered 'Not yet at least'. After I got a little ways away I leaned against a wall, trying to calm my thoughts. Maybe I had been in shock before and all of this was just crashing down on me, but I felt completely exhausted and rather terrified as I slid down the wall to the floor.

I was the mate of Draco Malfoy.

I was is so much trouble.

* * *

I somehow managed to avoid my housemates and shrink all of my things down into my bag. The war might have been over, but some of the spells I had learned during it were still incredibly useful. I tried to sneak out again, but this time a couple of third years were there studying quietly. Before they could ask where I had been I scurried out of the room. I knew word would get around to Harry and Ginny that I had been seen leaving with my bag and they would be worried, but I couldn't do anything about that now. I had hoped to keep the whole Veela thing from them a little longer, but I supposed it couldn't be helped.

Story of my life.

I had decided that I would try to give Draco a chance to at least be my friend. Anything more than that would be a little too much too soon for me. I mean, yeah, we had had sex, but I could plead partial insanity on that one. While it technically wasn't rape, I had no control over myself when Draco's Veela came out to play. But I wouldn't walk into this with a bad attitude. I mean, who knows? I knew Draco had changed during and after the war, so maybe being friends with him wouldn't be so bad. I got along with Theo well enough.

With those determined thoughts in mind, I followed the directions Dumbledore had given Draco and me to where our new quarters would be located. I eventually found the portrait that guarded the doorway to our new rooms; it was a beautiful scene, and I took a moment to admire the artistry. All of the paintings in the school were ultra-realistic, for obvious reasons, but this artist seemed to make realism seem magical. A pond sparkled brightly in the background, reflecting the sunlight and the trees surrounding it with the exact same wavering fluidity that real water would have. The reeds seemed to sway in the wind, even though I knew that the background wasn't moving at all. In the foreground a stooped, old weeping willow hugged the water's edge, its long tendrils of leaves floating daintily on the pond's surface. Attached to a low, yet sturdy, hung a rope swing with worn wood for a seat. Slowly swinging back and forth was a beautiful little girl. Her long, blonde hair hung in ringlets down her back and swung lightly to and fro with her movements. She wore an airy white sundress that stood out against her sun-kissed skin and seemed to float about her as she moved. Her eyes were closed and she had a slight smile on her face his her bare feet slowly pushed her along. I didn't think she had realized that I was there. I took a few more moments to let the peaceful setting relax me before I gently cleared my throat, trying not to startle her too badly. Her eyes popped open and she looked at me with the wide, innocent eyes of a young child, but I also knew that those silvery eyes had seen way more years than I ever would. She gave me a dazzling smile and ran closer to the edge of her painting, waving at me merrily.

"Hi! You must be Miss. Granger! Dumbledore said you would be coming by soon. I'm Melissa! It's very nice to meet you!" She gave a pretty little curtsy and giggled. I smiled at her enthusiasm, she seemed nice. Which was good, because I don't think I could have stood a whiney brat for a portrait while also dealing with Draco.

"It's nice to meet you too, Melissa. Could you please tell me the password and open up so I can go inside and get settled?" She gave me a delicate frown and sadly shook her head, biting her lip.

"I'm really sorry Miss., but I was told not to reveal the password until both occupants were here to hear it. You'll have to wait for Mr. Malfoy, I'm afraid." I groaned and she looked at me sympathetically. "I really am sorry, I know you must have had a long day. But Dumbledore said…" She trailed off and shrugged apologetically. I sighed. I didn't want to have to wait for Draco, who knew how long it would take him!

"Well, could you perhaps open up so I could set my bag inside?" I hedged; maybe I could just slip in and not come out. She wouldn't be able to stop me once she was open… She shook her head, crushing my hope.

"Sorry, but no. You could just leave your things here while you went to search for Mr. Malfoy, if you'd like?" I grumbled but acquiesced, shrugging off by bag before I turned and began my search for Draco.

* * *

I grumbled as I stalked into the library, one of the last places I had deigned to check for Draco. I didn't think I had ever seen him in here, even though I knew he must study _sometime _as he had the highest grades in our year, right after mine of course. But as I went further into the maze of shelves and books I heard his familiar voice. I was about to round the corner to where he was at when his tone of voice gave me pause. His hushed voice sounded exhausted and irritated as he growled to whoever was the listener. On a whim, I paused and listened in to what he was saying.

"…she thinks she knows everything but she's pretty fucking clueless right now. Merlin, of all the girls I had to get matched up with, it had to be Hermione, didn't it?" I gasped quietly as I realized that he was talking about _me_. Theo said something quietly that I didn't catch before Draco went on with his speech.

"Honestly, why couldn't I have been paired with someone that was easier to control, or at least predict! At the moment I think anyone would understand this better than she would. Why is it that Hermione thinks she's so high and mighty with knowledge but when it comes down to something she doesn't like she just ignores it. Like that'll make it go away! And she thinks I'm the arrogant one?! At least I accept the truth." Anger started boiling within me at his words, how dare he?! Saying I was his world one moment and then going around behind by back and insulting me the next!

"Um…" I saw Theo glance at me and I knew he was trying to warn Draco of my presence. I shook my head and glared at him. Oh no, I wanted to hear what Draco had to say about me.

"And her agreeing to be friends isn't even her trying to be nice or selfless. It's her not wanting to have to mar her perfect no-kill record. It's her being selfish. Sure, it's helping me out now, but the way she's been acting I'm not sure I want to just live with a selfish mate like that." I had to hold back an outraged cry. Selfish? _Selfish_?! I was going to help him stay alive and he considered it selfish?! Well, fuck that! I wouldn't reject the bond and kill him just out of spite, but I sure as hell wasn't going to share classes and dorms with him now! The absolute prick!

"You do realize that her flaws are yours, Malfoy. You're proud, arrogant, and selfish too." Blaise pointed out smoothly. I wanted to crow. Yeah! If I were those things, then Draco was a million times worse!

"That makes it even worse! Why would whatever force decides this shit pair me up with someone like me?! Opposites attract, not similars! But at least I'm trying and I'm accepting this. I know how this is supposed to end. She's the one being stupid about it! For fucks sake, this entire mating is a train wreck, and Hermione's the one driving it!" I had had enough. I couldn't believe I had actually thought he had changed, even a little. He was still the same old Draco. I didn't need this. I didn't need him. I stepped out from my hiding place, seething.

"Well then. I just won't jump on board if that's what you want." I hissed, clenching my fists to keep myself from slapping him like I had when I saw him laughing at Buckbeak's misfortune. Draco whirled around with wide, panicked eyes. I didn't think I had ever seen Draco look so desperate. Good. He deserved to feel like shit for putting me under the bus.

"Hermione, love, it's not what I'm sure you think it is. I'm just frustrated with this whole thing but I-"

"Oh, I heard how you felt about me and our mating. So much for Veelas not being able to hurt their mates, huh?" I growled, cutting him off. I didn't need to hear his useless denials.

"I wasn't trying to hurt you!"

"Yeah, because you didn't know I was listening!" I instantly shot back.

"Hermione, just because I'm a Veela doesn't mean I can't see and point out some of your flaws. Everyone has them, and yours are mine, as Blaise so kindly pointed out. But I don't think you heard the first part of the conversation, or you wouldn't be so mad at me right now. Just let me explain." My anger and hurt wiped away any semblance of reason from my mind. Why should he get to explain? His words shouldn't have hurt me, but they always did. But, now, I was done. I wouldn't bow down to Draco Malfoy anymore. I narrowed my eyes is disbelief and disdain.

"No need. You know, I was actually willing to try to do this with you. Be friends and then see where it took us. But now I see that the mating hasn't truly changed you at all. It was just an act so I wouldn't just let you die!"

"But-"

"Well, now that I know your true feelings about me, I'm not even going to give you the time of day. Fuck you, Malfoy. I just got out of a shitty relationship, I don't need this with you now. So, do yourself a favor and stay the hell away from me." I then turned on my heel and headed straight back up to Melissa to get my things. Then it was back to Gryffindor tower, where I belonged.

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**AN: I will be posting this chapter's partner momentarily! :)**


	7. Or Maybe Not

**AN: For the record, I actually wrote this segment **_**before **_**writing it into Hermione's point of view. I needed to make sure everything made sense, but was also vague enough to warrant a misunderstanding of sorts. So, really it's just a freebie to go along with the other chapter. **

**Either way, you get two chapters for the price of one, so that's good, right? :D**

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**Chapter 7: …Or Maybe Not**

DPOV

I watched as Hermione practically sprinted away from me in a desperate attempt to escape what she was going to have to accept as the truth. We were mates and whether she wanted to face it or not, mates were, 99% of the time, lovers. And I sure as hell wasn't planning on Hermione and I's relationship to be one of the 1%. Her refusal to accept everything fully, including me, hurt. A lot. I had already shielded my emotions from her, realizing in Dumbledore's office that some of them had slipped through, so I didn't have to worry about my pain becoming hers. But it also meant I didn't have a read on her, which made my Veela instincts antsy. I loved Hermione, I couldn't get passed that, but she sure at hell didn't love me. The thought made my heart clench. I needed someone to talk to, I couldn't keep all of this to myself. Blaise and Theo would help me out I was sure. And Theo knew Hermione, he might even be able to give me some pointers.

I made my way down to the dungeons where I knew they were both in potions. I took a deep breath and put on the infallible, Malfoy-patented look of confidence before strolling into the room. I heard several gasps at my sudden presence, and I even think one girl fainted, but I ignored them in favor of looking to my Godfather.

While Snape may not have been the cuddliest person, he was always a better father figure than mine had ever been. He had quietly helped me with my homework, listened to me when I needed to vent about my father in a place where I knew word of it wouldn't get back to him, and was overall just a silent support for me throughout my years at Hogwarts. The fact that most people just thought he favored me because he was the Slytherin head of house and I was the best student was just a plus. Snape had stopped teaching when I came in and raised a brow in silent question.

"I need to pull out Nott and Zabini, professor." He scowled but gestured for them to leave with me. He gave me a stiff, slight nod to let me know that he was aware of my reasoning before turning his back and resuming teaching. When we got to the hall, I held off their questions with a simple head shake and led them into the library. I went for my secret spot, the one where, unless they were truly looking or were just completely lost in the maze, people would never see me crack open a book. Now, I wasn't as big of a bookworm as Granger, obviously, but I had spent several enjoyable hours sitting here quietly reading.

"What's this all about, Malfoy? First you're pulled out of class randomly, then you're gone for a week, and now you're pulling us out of class! What in Salazar's name is going on?!" Blaise finally burst, but was smart enough to keep his voice down. Theo simply looked on, waiting for my answer. I sighed.

"It's a long story, so let me just sum it up. Apparently, mother was a Veela, so I have Veela blood as well. I didn't know because father, being the pureblood supremacist he was, hated that mother had sullied our line. So he gave me a potion to stop my change so I would die. Mother found out about it, got Dumbledore's help and now here I am, a fully-fledged Veela. I was pulled out of class to be told all this and to be given a potion to speed up my change. Now, here's where it gets tricky. My mate, as insane as it sounds, is Hermione." They both sat in stunned silence for about two minutes, but it felt like forever.

"You're a Veela?" Theo asked quietly.

"Yes."

"And your mate is Hermione."

"Yes."

"Okay, so how is this tricky?" I looked at him like he was crazy, so he elaborated. "Sure, it'll be difficult to get her to like you, but I can help with that. But you can eventually get on her good side and then tell her about you being a Veela. Hopefully, by then she will like you enough to decide to be your mate and your love can grow from there." He shrugged nonchalantly and Blaise nodded along with his logic.

"Yeah, it sounds solid." I shook my head, frustrated by my predicament. It would have been so much easier if I could have done it Theo's way.

"Yeah, except Veela instincts don't know the meaning of 'wine and dine'. The first thing Veela do is claim and mark their mate, and I was no exception to the rule. She is fully aware of my Veela blood and the fact that she is my mate. She couldn't deny it if she tried, my mating bite will be there for the rest of her life, even if she doesn't choose to accept me." I sat down heavily and buried my head in my hands. Why was this so hard? In all the fairy tales mother always told me, the Veela easily gained its mate's love. The journey was just finding the mate.

"So, you mean you already shagged her? You shagged the great prude Granger?! Dude! That's an accomplishment in itself! She's pretty hot for a Gryffindor…" I abruptly jumped up and cut him off with a snarl, looming over him dangerously.

"She is mine, Zabini. _Mine_. And if you even think about her like that again I won't hesitate to rip your dick off to make sure you won't be an issue, friend or not. Are we clear?" I hissed, feeling my fangs emerge at the thought of another male admiring my mate. Blaise's eyes widened and he held up his hands in surrender.

"Okay, yeah man. I'm sorry Draco. I didn't realize how upset you'd get. I guess this mating is some serious stuff." I felt my anger fade away at his sincere apology and my fangs went back into my gums. I sank back down into my seat, noticing Theo and Blaise relax as I went back to normal.

"It is serious. I'm already in love with her. Completely. She's my whole world. This Veela shit is strong. It makes me see her like I never would have before. It's enlightening, but also frustrating that Hermione doesn't have that outlook into me."

"What do you mean?"

"She just doesn't get it, the whole mate thing I mean. She's expecting us to be mates but just as friends, not as lovers. And I know we can't do that, especially not since I've had a taste of her once…" I trailed off and knew I must have had a ridiculous smile on my face as I once again thought about last night. I would get at least one more repeat of that if it killed me. I heard a throat clear and brought myself back to the present, rolling my eyes at an amused Blaise and Theo.

"Why does she think you can just be friends?" Theo asked. I growled in irritation before jerking myself up and frantically pacing.

"Because she's stubborn! She won't listen to me, she doesn't realize what this all really means. She thinks she knows everything but she's pretty fucking clueless right now. Merlin, of all the girls I had to get matched up with, it had to be Hermione, didn't it?"

"Uh, Draco?" Theo quietly tried to interject but I was on a roll now.

"Honestly, why couldn't I have been paired with someone that was easier to control, or at least predict! At the moment I think anyone would understand this better than she would. Why is it that Hermione thinks she's so high and mighty with knowledge but when it comes down to something she doesn't like she just ignores it. Like that'll make it go away! And she thinks _I'm _the arrogant one?! At least I accept the truth."

"Um…"

"And her agreeing to be friends isn't even her trying to be nice or selfless. It's her not wanting to have to mar her perfect no-kill record. It's her being selfish. Sure, it's helping me out now, but the way she's been acting I'm not sure I want to just live with a selfish mate like that."

"You do realize that her flaws are yours, Malfoy. You're proud, arrogant, and selfish too." Blaise pointed out calmly. I groaned.

"That makes it even worse! Why would whatever force decides this shit pair me up with someone like me?! Opposites attract, not similars! But at least I'm trying and I'm accepting this. I know how this is supposed to end. She's the one being stupid about it! For fucks sake, this entire mating is a train wreck, and Hermione's the one driving it!" I was panting by the time I was done, finally getting all of that pent up anger out of my system felt good. I finally turned to Theo, about to ask him what it was he had been trying to say earlier and saw he was now looking at me with pity and regret.

"Well then. I just won't jump on board if that's what you want." I whirled around and came face to face with a very irate Hermione. I immediately knew that Theo had been trying to warn me that she had been listening in, but I had stupidly ignored him and his warnings. I thought fast to try to save the situation.

"Hermione, love, it's not what I'm sure you think it is. I'm just frustrated with this whole thing but I-"

"Oh, I heard how you felt about me and our mating. So much for Veelas not being able to hurt their mates, huh?"

"I wasn't trying to hurt you!" I shouted, trying to get it through her thick skull. Why wouldn't she just _listen _to me?!

"Yeah, because you didn't know I was listening!" I groaned in exasperation.

"Hermione, just because I'm a Veela doesn't mean I can't see and point out some of your flaws. Everyone has them, and yours are mine, as Blaise so kindly pointed out. But I don't think you heard the first part of the conversation, or you wouldn't be so mad at me right now. Just let me explain." I pleaded. I opened up our emotional bond to try to send her some trust but winced as her anger and, to my chagrin, hurt came pouring through.

"No need. You know, I was actually willing to try to do this with you. Be friends and then see where it took us. But now I see that the mating hasn't truly changed you at all. It was just an act so I wouldn't just let you die!"

"But-"

"Well, now that I know your true feelings about me, I'm not even going to give you the time of day. Fuck you, Malfoy. I just got out of a shitty relationship, I don't need this with you now. So, do yourself a favor and stay the hell away from me." I dropped to my knees in pain at her words as she stormed off, her hair flying behind her.

"Well, fuck. That didn't go well." I heard Blaise murmur from behind me.

I couldn't have agreed more.

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**AN: As I said before, all of this was a lot of writing. But it's because I'm making up for the next chapter which I'm thinking will be shorter. If it ends up being a normal sized chapter, then you still get 2 big chapters at the same time as well as that whenever I write it! **

**Also, random side question, after I'm finished with this, should I do a Twilight fanfiction? Don't get me wrong, I DESPISE Twilight, but I love all of the revamps on here. They're great! So, do any of you think you might read that, or think I would be a good writer for it? It would probably be Bella with one of the war vets, Jasper, Peter, or Garrett. Any thoughts? **

**Anyway, R&amp;R my lovelies! :) **


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